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Calder Solar

One year after the relaunch of the tax credit scheme for solar thermal systems in February 2016 (Law 20.897), some preliminary figures show a small increase of Chile’s solar market. But although the subsidy for newbuilds will be in effect until 2020, industry representatives have not been particularly satisfied with the impact of the new legal framework. Their criticism was supported by the fact that the announced subsidy scheme for social housing projects and low-income families has yet to be implemented. The market has improved slightly, but is moving at only half throttle. The photo shows the Villa Verde houses in the coastal city of Constitución. Some of the units which are part of this housing project have a thermosiphon system installed on the roof.

Chilean company THC is satisfied with the sales of its new collector type called Ecopanel. “We have installed around 2,500 m2 of Ecopanels over the last seven months, and have contracts for 1,500 m2 more,” Melchor Mittersteiner says. The Vice President of THC, a manufacturer of components for drinking water systems, believes the subsidies to be responsible for the strong growth of the market. Photo: THC